Kicking it up a notch: New name for Natchitoches’ Market

The City of Natchitoches invites the public to Historic Downtown Natchitoches for the Grand Opening of the Natchitoches Farmers’ Market Saturday, April 29 from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Grand opening festivities will include churning butter and grinding corn meal demonstrations by Dick DeBusk, Taste of Natchitoches Cookbook signing by local writer Anita Ann McGee, live music, and over 35 vendors from the surrounding areas.

The Natchitoches Farmers’ Market, previously known as Cane River Green Market, will be located on Front Street in Natchitoches between Church Street and Touline every Saturday, April 29 through July 29 from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Market offerings will include fresh produce, value added products, hand crafted items, demonstrations, kid’s activities, live music, food, and much more.

Market Coordinator Valerie Balthazar said they’ve started a community garden at the Detention Center to source another component of the grant, the Mobile Market. This van, wrapped in the Market’s new logo, will travel to the community twice a week from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. Dates will be announced soon, but the locations include Pierson Mallet Park on Tuesday and Ben Johnson on Thursdays.

All this and more is being made possible by a Healthy Behaviors Grant grant from The Rapides Foundation. The Rapides Foundation offers grants to non-profits and local governments promoting healthy behavior by creating or improving opportunities for adults and youth in Central Louisiana to engage in safe, accessible activity and by increasing accessibility of healthy foods.

The Natchitoches Farmers’ Market accepts cash, credit cards, EBT, and Snap. For more information on this event visit www.canerivergreenmarket.com (soon to be under construction), like us on Facebook, or call (318)238-4211.

“I’ve always wanted to work with planning events and making them happen,” said Balthazar, a former market vendor. When she saw the coordinator position she knew it was meant to be.

It is so good to know that the new market featuring fresh vegatables , produce and other foods for the people of Naka tosh is about to open. As a native Son of Nakatosh , my brother and I sold fresh vegatables and produce from the back of our 1949 Ford pickup truck on Saturday mornings throughout the neighborhoods in the ’50’S , ’60’s of Nakatosh. By bringing fresh food to the citizens of Nakatosh back then and to see that tradition still be carried on today warms my heart and soul.
Keep up the good works and keep the healthy food coming. The citizens of Natchitoches were “Organic” before “Organic” was Cool!!